Jocking for Forgiveness
by LordByronMudkippington
Summary: With her bullying past behind her, Kanan tries to gain forgiveness for her past. When it comes to Dia, it's not going to be as easy as saying sorry. (A birthday fic for jhaskii, which was posted at the right time elsewhere, but will be posted late here.)


Kanan tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she drove into Tokyo. Some pop song she didn't know came through the speakers, and she quickly pushed a button to switch it to a more preferred radio station. The diving equipment in the bed of her truck rolled around and clattered against the sides, but a tarp covering the back made sure none of it was going to escape. She was taking the equipment from her family diving shop in the quaint seaside town of Uchiura into the big city of Tokyo, where an aquarium was expecting her.

The big city didn't scare her, even if she wasn't there all that often. She knew her way around, having learned it once she began taking equipment over to shops in Tokyo. They paid decent money, enough to keep the family going when tourism was slow. The winter months were not exactly the time where people were clamoring to go diving, so being able to sell refurbished diving equipment was something the Matsuuras needed. Besides, she liked driving, so she didn't mind being the one to haul everything there. It was calming. Not like being in the water, but it was fine regardless.

She reached the aquarium and backed her truck up by the back of the building. Unbuckling herself, she got out of the truck and knocked on the back door. Soon enough, a couple employees came out and she explained who she was. They then came out to help unload all the equipment. She unhooked the tarp and pulled it back, allowing them to share the burden of carrying it all inside.

When it was all inside, they thanked her and paid her, which she took with an easygoing smile. She gave the employees a wave, then went back outside to re-hook up the tarp. Once that was done, she got in her truck and started the engine up. She could just go home after that, since her job was done, but it was lunch time and her stomach demanded some nutrients. There had to be some good seafood around there somewhere.

Pulling out her phone, she Googled seafood restaurants in the area, eventually coming up with the closest one. That would suit her needs nicely. Putting her phone in her lap, she put the truck in drive and drove out into the street. Honestly, the robotic voice that directed her through the GPS always bothered her. It sounded like a high school math teacher that she hated. She remembered passing that class only because Chika and her had devised a clever cheating system: stealing the answer book from the teacher's desk and copying it in tiny print on a piece of paper that You sewed into the inside sleeve of her jacket. Ah, she had been such a great student.

School really wasn't for her, though. She hadn't even bothered to go for her final year of high school, and university? Forget about it. All a degree was going to do was allow her to get a job, and guess what? She already had a job, and she was getting decent money from it, so who needed school? Not her, that was for sure. It wasn't that she didn't have fun in high school. Just that the fun didn't really have anything to do with the 'school' part.

However, there were certain things about school that she wished she could forget, and she wasn't just talking about the lessons themselves. As much as she didn't want to admit it sometimes, back in school she was a pretty big bully. Her, Chika, and You all were. That was how they got their kicks a lot of the times. They were athletic, popular, and good looking, so they could get away with a lot of the stuff they pulled. It wasn't even a big deal back then: it was fun. She regretted being such a jerk now.

There was no point in dragging herself down with those thoughts, though. It had happened, and there was nothing she could do to change it. She was sorry, and she felt that she'd done a relatively good turn-around when it came to her attitude. What else could she do? Besides, it was high school... and middle school. Lots of kids were little jerks back then. Surely they'd all moved on with their lives.

Reaching the restaurant, she parked her truck and shut it down, getting out and walking casually inside. Unfortunately, there seemed to be people waiting to be seated. Still, she went up and asked the employee up front how long the wait would be. When she was told it would just be ten to fifteen minutes, she figured that wasn't too bad. Smiling as she gave her name to the woman, she went over to the plush benches and sat down next to a cute little redhead. She figured she could start up a conversation with her. There was time, and she hadn't been on a date in a few months. Time to put on the charm.

"Hey there." Such a simple conversation starter seemed to be more like a stack of firecrackers going off, as the redhead nearly jumped out of her seat in fright. Apparently she hadn't expected anyone to bother talking to her. The girl certainly seemed on edge, but Kanan tried to play it cool. Other people waiting were looking at them, and she didn't want them to get the wrong idea. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay..." The redhead murmured, fidgeting nervously in her seat. "I didn't mean to jump." She made eye contact with Kanan, relaxing slightly when she saw her smile. "Hi. Waiting too?"

"Mhm. Just wanted to get some seafood while I was around here." She leaned in a bit closer, never faltering with her sweet smile. "I'd choose you over the seafood any day, though." That got the redhead to giggle, which only furthered Kanan's confidence. She'd always been a smooth talker, and she had quite a way with women. Sure, You was the one who had all the girls clamoring to be around her, but she didn't think she was half bad at it either. "Why don't we sit and eat together? My treat."

"Well, I did come here with my sister..." Oh? A sister, she says? Kanan's eyes lit up, just for a moment. She didn't find that to be a problem at all. Two sisters, two hands. Exactly as God intended. There was enough of her to go around, anyway.

"Why doesn't she join us? I'd love to talk to her too. She must be proud to have such an adorable sister like you." That made her giggle and blush, eventually getting her to shyly nod.

"I should ask my sister first, though..." Kanan nodded, figuring that was okay. Today was turning out to be a pretty good day. She had a nice amount of cash in her pocket, and she was going to have lunch with a couple of cute sisters. Well, at least one of them was cute. She had no idea what the other looked like. She'd just have to cross her fingers and hope that whoever she was, she was cute as well. Maybe even hot. "Oh, there she is now."

When her sister exited the restroom and walked over towards them, Kanan was sure her heart had stopped. She was drop-dead gorgeous, hotter than hot, but that wasn't what had her eyes wide and body tense. The thing was, she knew that girl. It had been about five years since they'd last seen each other, but there was no mistaking who that was. Even now, after all those years, she still wore those little white hair clips that Kanan remembered taking right off her head and tossing them around in the halls like frisbees.

It seemed she wasn't the only one who was getting a distressing case of remembrance. The redhead's sister froze in place, eyes widening as she stared at the waiting area in utter disbelief. Then her expression rapidly changed to one of utter fury. Her eyes were burning with the fires of Tartarus, with an intensity that Kanan feared would burn the entire restaurant to the ground. She had been so used to seeing tears in Dia's eyes when they were in school together. This, though... This was terrifying. Was this really the same girl she'd bullied so relentlessly back then?

The burning fury in Dia's eyes was quickly gone, but there was no disguising the utter distaste on her face, and Kanan knew that it was all for her. Well, so much for that date. She walked over to the two of them, her steps rigid and her hands balled into fists at her side. Glancing at her sister, Kanan could tell that she knew something was up. Her eyes were darting between Dia and Kanan, nervousness clear in her gaze. "D-Dia?"

"Ruby, I thought I told you not to talk to strangers." Chastised, Ruby looked down at her knees, mumbling out an apology. It completely baffled Kanan. She couldn't remember Dia having this kind of confidence before. This was the type of girl who couldn't get her reflection to do anything, but the tone in her voice spoke volumes. It was as if she was a completely different person, one who had plenty of confidence. On the other hand, her eyes held quite the grudge, if the daggers she was throwing Kanan's way were any indication.

"S-Sorry Dia. We... We were just talking while waiting to be seated."

"Oh were you?" Now her gaze was fully trained on Kanan, and she felt like that must've been how wild animals felt when they were trapped in a cage. In a way, it was embarrassing. There was no way in Hell that Dia should've been able to intimidate anyone, much less someone like her. She was way stronger than Dia. If they went toe to toe right then and there, Kanan was sure she could knock Dia out with one blow. Why did she feel like she couldn't even defend herself, then?

"Uh, hi... Dia." Kanan gulped, feeling the heat in the area kick it up a notch as Dia stared her down. This was not how she expected to meet up with Dia again. She had expected to never see Dia again, and she hadn't even thought about her until this very moment. However, she had a feeling that wasn't the case for Dia. "How's it going?"

At that point, Kanan thought Dia might kill her. She was positive she would pull a gun out of her purse and just blow her brains out in front of everyone. How was she even supposed to defend against that? Luckily, she didn't do that. Her life was spared for that moment. Instead, she huffed crossly and folded her arms. "If you don't mind, I will take the seat next to my sister."

Without hesitation, Kanan got up and moved away, allowing Dia to sit down and proceed to ignore her completely. Ruby could tell something was wrong, but she didn't seem to know what to say, so she just held a conversation with Dia while occasionally looking over at Kanan. For her part, Kanan just shrugged but didn't say anything. She didn't really want to say "Hey, so your sister's mad at me because I stuffed her in a locker on the daily" in public.

She and Dia didn't make any more eye contact after that. When the sisters' table was ready, they left to be seated without a word. Ruby looked back at Kanan one last time, getting a sheepish smile in return. Then they were gone, and Kanan decided that she wasn't all that hungry anymore. Mentally kicking herself, she walked out of the restaurant with her hands stuffed in her pockets.

With the shock of the surprise meeting dissipating, she was left with a nagging feeling of guilt. That was someone who had been directly affected by her younger stupidity, and apparently was still dealing with it. Surely they'd all moved on with their lives is what she'd thought. Had Dia not? Now she was frustrated. It had been five years! Who hung on to things like that for that long? They'd met there by complete coincidence. She didn't have to look at her like she was the reincarnation of Benito Mussolini.

Okay, so maybe she'd been hitting on her sister, but so what? How was she supposed to know that she had a sister? She wasn't clairvoyant. Still sitting in her truck, she sighed and laid her head back against the headrest. She couldn't get past the truth that she did still feel guilty, even if she felt that Dia should've gotten over it. What was she supposed to do? Go over and apologize? ... Hey yeah, that was an idea. Surely Dia would appreciate an apology, especially if it came unprompted. Chicks dig unprompted apologies.

So she waited in the parking lot for an hour, tapping on the steering wheel and singing along to the radio. She wished that she could surf the web on her phone, since she was so incredibly bored, but she didn't want to look away from the restaurant for even a moment, lest she accidentally miss her chance. It was tough, but she kept staring, and waiting, and waiting. Damn, how long did it take to eat anyway?

She was in the middle of listing aloud all the different types of sea creatures in her local aquarium when Dia and her sister finally exited the restaurant. "Thank God..." Shutting off her truck, she jumped out and started walking over towards the sisters, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible. "Hey, Dia! Wait up!"

Dia initially flinched upon hearing her voice, helpless to the memories of fear and embarrassment that were unwillingly dredged up. Those feelings were quickly pushed aside though, to be replaced by annoyance and anger. She whirled around towards the sound of Kanan's voice, and immediately Kanan started to feel that this wasn't a good idea.

"Uh, hey, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute." She decided to push on regardless. If she was going to be actually sorry for her misdeeds, then she needed to put in the effort to apologize. Hopefully she could get it out before Dia stabbed her to death or something. "It'll be quick, I promise."

"I don't have time to deal with you." Dia dismissed her immediately, turning her nose up at Kanan. Apparently she'd gained some sort of snobby nature in the intervening years. "Nor do I want to talk with you."

"Aw, c'mon Dia, I just wanna apologize-"

"Hah! That's rich, coming from you." Dia turned her angry eyes on Kanan, crossing her arms firmly. "If you're going to apologize for everything you've done, we might be here all day, and I have more important things to do. If you're going to give me a simple 'I'm sorry', then don't even bother."

"Hey, I'm trying to be sincere here!" Now she was getting frustrated again. How was she supposed to apologize and show actual remorse if Dia wouldn't even accept it? She wasn't even being given a chance at redemption. "Why don't you get off whatever high horse you've started riding and let me apologize?"

"As if you have any moral ground to stand on saying that. An apology from you is nothing more than a oyster with no pearl inside: a disappointment." They were both glaring at each other now, the fires of the past consuming the spots they stood on. It was Dia who broke the connection first, as if realizing that someone else was still there. She looked back at Ruby, who was staring at both of them with wide, fearful eyes. Sighing, Dia took Ruby's hand before giving Kanan one last, bitter glare. "Like I said, I have no time to deal with ruffians like you. Don't you dare bother me or my sister again." Then she walked away, leaving Kanan to stare after them.

"Oh yeah?! Well... Ahh dammit..." Frustrated, Kanan kicked at the concrete, putting her hands on her hips. That had not gone to plan at all. How was she supposed to apologize if Dia wouldn't even hear her out? Ugh, being contrite was such hard work. She was frustrated and guilt-stricken at the same time. Had she really messed Dia up that bad?

Sighing, she went back to her truck and drove back home. She needed some advice, and there were only two people she knew who could understand what was going on. Hopefully they weren't too busy today.

* * *

  
It was a rather familiar setting. She was laying on the floor in Chika's bedroom, while Chika and You sat next to each other on the bed. Ever since they were toddlers, they'd hung out together. They'd been friends through thick and thin, able to talk to each other about anything even though having emotions was for wimps. Back in the day, it was usually Kanan whom the other two went to help for. She'd teach them how to swim with the various strokes, or how to cheat without getting caught at school. Now, though, the tables were turned, and it was Kanan who needed help from her friends. Hopefully they would have some good advice.

"Why do you need to apologize to her anyway? You tried, and she brushed you off." Shrugging, You took her snapback off of her head and started to toss it up in the air, catching it between her fingers each time. "If she's not going to accept it, then that's all you can do. Move on with your life."

"I know, but I feel stupidly guilty. Ugh, and it's frustrating! She wouldn't even let me apologize!" Kanan kicked at the air and grumbled. This whole ordeal was more trouble than it was worth. Maybe You was right, and she should just quit while she was behind. She looked over at Chika, who had been quiet the whole time. "Chika? What do you think I should do?"

"Well..." More than anyone, Kanan figured that Chika would be the one who could give her the best advice. After all, she was straight up dating someone that she'd bullied back in high school. There must be some secret that she held that she needed to share with the rest of the class. "You said this was Dia, right? As in Dia Kurosawa?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's her last name... Yeah, yeah it was. Wait, how did you know?"

"Long black hair with the silly white clips, right? Yeah, she became student council president president after you left the school. I remember her giving You detention for skinny dipping in the pool." Kanan raised an eyebrow at You, who just smiled sheepishly and covered half of her face with the snapback.

"I was showing off for this girl I was trying to sleep with."

"Okay, that makes sense... Wait, Dia was what now?" Kanan sat up straight, her jaw dropping. Dia became the student council president in their third year? No way. She had always been so meek and timid. That didn't sound like the president of anything. She must've missed a hell of a lot when she dropped out to work with her dad. "Why am I just hearing this now?"

"I didn't realize it was a big deal." Chika shrugged, swiping the snapback out of You's hands and putting it on her own head. "I mean, yeah, it was surprising to see her turn into this commanding person, but we didn't think to tell you about what was going on in school. You weren't there anymore, and you were busy with your work too. I guess it just never came up."

"Apparently." So as far as Kanan could tell, in the year that she left school, Dia went from being a crybaby tattletale to the student council president. She'd also gotten super hot and super pissed. This did not bode well for Kanan's chances. "Okay, well... Maybe You's right, and there's nothing I can do. Even if I could get her to listen to me, how would I find her? Tokyo's a big-ass place."

"Why not go ask the people at the Kurosawa fishing shop where she is? It's her family's store, after all."

"Oh yeah, Chika. If only I could just walk into the town's fishing store and just ask to talk to... Dia..." Kanan's tone was sarcastically mocking at first, but she started to falter when she thought about what Chika was saying. Kurosawa... and Kurosawa... "Wait, she's _that_ Kurosawa?! From Kurosawa Fishing?!"

"Uh, yeah? How many other Kurosawas do you know?" You smirked and started to laugh. "Wow Kanan, no wonder you dropped out of school."

"Shut up, You." Kanan groaned and hid her face in her hands. Wow, she really was dumb. How had she never thought to make that connection before? Chika was coming up big in the ideas department today. "Okay, fine, so I can do that. But what am I supposed to say? Why would they tell a complete stranger where Dia is? They don't know me or what I want."

"Just lie to them. Tell them you're an old friend of hers and that you wanna surprise her or something. You just need to know where she is, and then you can find her."

"... That makes a lot of sense. Damn, Chika. Your stalking game is on point." Kanan laughed and stood up, going over to the bed to ruffle Chika's hair. Chika laughed with her, falling over to avoid Kanan's hand. "I'm gonna go over there right now."

"Wait, do you have a plan or something?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna wing it." Kanan looked back at her two friends, giving them a reassuring grin. "I'll just use my wonderful charms." With that, she departed the room, ready to get things going. Chika and You looked at each other.

"She's doomed."

* * *

  
The worst part was that Kanan had been in the Kurosawa fishing shop before. Somehow she had been in there, interacted with the people there, yet never known that it was Dia's family's shop. Maybe she was just that self-centered that she didn't notice anything that wasn't written out in front of her face. Well, better late than never. Now she knew what was going on, and she could get to know Dia's whereabouts.

When she entered the shop, she went right up to the front to speak to the person at the service desk. "Excuse me? I was wondering if you knew where Dia Kurosawa was."

"Miss Kurosawa? She's currently at university in Tokyo."

"Do you know which one? I'm an old friend of hers, and I just wanted to surprise her, but I can't remember which university she's attending." She flashed the woman her winning smile, hoping that would be enough to get things done.

"I'm sorry, I just work here. I don't know where she goes to university." Kanan's smile fell right away. Well, so much for that. "Why don't you ask her sister Ruby? She should know." Oh yeah, Ruby. The little redhead from the restaurant. That was probably not good. Dia had likely told her about how terrible she was, and she'd never be allowed to even step foot on their property without getting shot at.

"Do you know where the Kurosawa house is, then? It's been awhile since I've been here, honestly." She was lying her ass off, but it was for a good cause. Not that she had ever needed a good excuse to lie.

"Of course." With a smile, the woman gave Kanan directions to the Kurosawa household. Thanking her, Kanan left and started to head that way, wondering how it would go. Somehow, she didn't expect it to be easy, but she was still going to try. This would be her final try to be truly contrite. If it didn't work, then Dia could just suck eggs.

She knocked on the Kurosawa door without hesitation, standing there with a confidant stance. Maybe she'd get lucky and Dia would actually be home. Then she could apologize right then and there, and everything would be gucci. She didn't have to wait long for the door to be opened, but it wasn't Dia. Instead, she got to see Ruby standing there for about five seconds. Then she let out a squeak of fear and shut the door in her face.

Oh boy. "Ruby, please open up! I just want to talk to your sister!" She did open up, but just a crack. Her eyes peeked out from the crack, looking Kanan up and down. "I know it was... awkward, at the restaurant, but I really need to speak with her. Do you know where she is?"

"She wasn't happy to see you..." Ruby murmured, still not opening the door another inch. "What did you do, Kanan?"

"It's... It's a bit of a long story. Can I just talk to you, please? I just want to explain what happened." Ruby deliberated on it for a moment longer, then finally opened the door and beckoned for Kanan to come inside. She thanked her and entered, taking her shoes off at the entrance and following her into the living room, where they both took a seat on a very comfortable couch. Damn, Dia's family wasn't hurting for money, that was sure. The place looked stacked. "This house is incredible."

"Thank you. So, about my sister?"

"Right. Well... So in grade school I kind of... well, really bullied your sister." Ruby's expression changed on a dime. It went from curious to angry in seconds flat. Though she looked too cute to seem threatening. "Look, I was a jerk back then. I didn't care about who I hurt, and now I just want to make amends with her. She won't even talk to me, though, so I- Ow!" Kanan rubbed her arm where Ruby had punched her. It hadn't even hurt that much. She was just shocked. She hadn't expected Ruby to do that.

"Y-You were a jerk to my sister! She never told me..." Ruby looked like she was about to cry, which freaked Kanan out. She wasn't equipped to deal with crying people, and if someone from her family came around and saw it, she'd get the cops called on her. "When she'd come home with a bloody nose... W-Was that you?"

"Well, yeah... Ow! Stop that!" Kanan rubbed her arm again, glaring at Ruby, who was glaring right back. "Look, it was wrong, okay? I know it was, and all I want to do is apologize. Can you just... help me get in contact with her? Please?" Ruby's face softened some, looking over Kanan to try and determine her truthfulness.

"I... You're not saying this just to hurt her again, are you?"

"I'm not, I swear." She held her hand up and gave Ruby her best smile. "I've never been able to set things right with any of the people I hurt back then, and I at least want to try." Ruby still seemed unsure, but finally she nodded and didn't punch Kanan after one of her sentences.

"She goes to the University of Tokyo. Her upper level management class ends at nine-fifty on Monday, building E. If you really care about making amends, you'll go there and talk to her." Ruby had a stern look on her face, which seemed so out of place. Maybe that's what happened to all Kurosawas: they seem meek and fragile, then suddenly grow up to look like they could kill you with their eyes. This Kurosawa was still learning, though. "Don't bother her when she's in class, though. If you do, I'll find out, and there'll be heck to pay."

"We wouldn't want that now." Kanan tried to stop herself from smirking, but she figured that was fair. She was going to have to locate the class, not to mention wake up early, but that was the least she could do. Obviously she had put Dia through a lot more than that. As long as Dia could accept her apology, they could move on with their lives.

"So..." Ruby fidgeted awkwardly, the two of them no longer having anything to talk about. "You've got... a lot of muscles, huh?"

"Wanna see me flex?"

"Not really."

* * *

  
Waking up before ten didn't agree with her. Kanan had to suppress yet another yawn as she parked in the visitors section on campus and headed for building E. She had to ask a student on campus where it was, and once inside she used the signs on the walls to navigate to the upper management class. Making it there with five minutes to spare was an accomplishment, as far as she was concerned. She leaned against the wall opposite of the door and waited.

When the students began to file out of the classroom, barely any of them paid attention to her. They probably assumed she was just waiting for the next class. She wasn't surprised that Dia was the last one out of the class. That was such a nerd thing to do. As soon as Dia saw Kanan, she froze inside the classroom, eyes wide. Kanan tried to smile innocently, to show she didn't mean any harm, but it didn't stop Dia from quickly taking on that angry expression again.

"Before you say anything, I just want to apologize. And I really want you to know that I mean it." Dia wasn't even looking at her, having chosen to walk past her and down the hall. Kanan kept pace with her, though, avoiding other students who were walking the opposite way. "I didn't come all the way to your university so early in the morning just to rehash old wounds. Can we just sit down and talk about it? I just want to say sorry, and you don't even have to forgive me. How about that?"

"... Fine. You can ask for my forgiveness, but I don't promise I'll give you it. Follow me." Without another word, Dia strode ahead down the hall, with Kanan in pursuit. She pumped her fist in initial triumph, silently thanking Ruby for giving her the information. They walked downstairs, then out of the building, until they were in the middle of the business campus. It was a nice, grassy area with several large trees, their branches full of leaves and large enough to give adequate shade. Dia went over to one and stood beneath one of the trees, leaning against it. "Alright, let's hear it."

"Lemme sit down first." Kanan plopped down onto the grass, getting comfortable before looking up at Dia. "When I tried to apologize to you at the restaurant, I really meant it. Enough time has passed since high school to make me realize that I was a big jerk all that time there."

"No kidding," Dia scoffed. With her haughty attitude on full display, Kanan immediately regretted sitting down. It gave Dia such a height advantage that it made her feel like she was being scolded. She stood up to cancel out the difference, with them both being the same height. "If you think that's going to be good enough, you're sorely mistaken."

"I wasn't finished!" Kanan huffed and crossed her arms. She had already known that this was going to be difficult, but it didn't stop it from being frustrating. "If you really want me to apologize for every bad thing I did to you, then I will. That's how serious about this I am. I'm not the same person I was back in high school. And I know it must be difficult for you to believe that, but it's true."

Dia frowned slightly, looking at Kanan as if she was sizing her up. It made Kanan feel a bit uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to say anything. "Hm... While it would be nice to have you grovel at my feet, apologizing for every single slight you've done to me, I have a test to take in an hour. So unfortunately, there wouldn't be enough time. However, you do seem sincere... I think." She narrowed her eyes. "But I'm not ready to forgive you yet. If you had gone through what you made me go through, then you might have an understanding as to why this is the case."

"So what, you want to bully me back or something?"

"No! Bullying solves nothing!" Shaking her head, Dia stepped away from the tree and started walking off, forcing Kanan to follow after her. "I don't believe you've learned anything from high school. You're probably still the same lunkhead swimmer whose only goal was to disrupt the learning experience for other students. And I know you're still following me, and if you keep on doing so, I will turn around and knock you on the head with my textbook."

"You wouldn't want to assault someone on campus, would you?" That stopped Dia in her tracks. She whirled around to stare at Kanan, who couldn't stop herself from grinning. That just brought back the anger in Dia's eyes. Her grin fell quickly.

"That never stopped you before." Oh damn. Now it was Kanan's turn to be stopped in her tracks. Dia didn't seem to be proud of her harsh shot across the bow. She just still seemed angry, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself. "You're a jerk, Kanan. You've always been a jerk, and you always will be a jerk. If you truly want to make amends for what you did, then I suggest you go home and stop bothering me. I will never forgive you." Then she walked away without another word, and Kanan couldn't make herself go after her.

"Dammit all to Hell..." Well, that was her last shot. She'd used all the cards she had, and it hadn't worked out. Dia wasn't interested in forgiving her or even speaking to her. What else was she supposed to do? She had told herself that if it didn't work, then she'd just move on with her life. That was just what she was going to have to do. Why did it not feel right, though? It just felt like she hadn't gotten any closure. Was she never going to be forgiven for her mistakes?

* * *

  
Letting out a loud, tired sigh, Dia locked the door to her apartment and immediately headed for her room. Inside, she set down her bag, but a knock on the door interrupted her from falling into bed and attempting to relax after what had ended up being a stressful day. Sighing again, she turned right back around and opened the door, finding her roommate Riko standing there with a worried look on her face.

"Uh, hey Dia. I heard you sighing, and I just wanted to see if you were okay." She was fidgeting nervously, which seemed to be a bit much just to check on her. There was no need to keep her out of the loop.

"Yes, I'm quite alright. It's just been a stressful day." Realizing that she was going to have to explain what had happened, she left her room and sat down on the couch. Riko followed and sat down next to her. "You don't have to worry so much about it, Riko. I was just approached by my high school bully, but I took care of her."

"Oh, I see." That was rather vague, and after having known Dia for almost two years, Riko couldn't be sure if she meant that she took care of her in a brushing off kind of way, or... something a bit more violent. "What did she want exactly?"

"She wanted to make amends for her poor treatment of me in high school, but I have no plans on forgiving a bully." It was still strange, even to her, that she was comfortable confiding all of these kinds of things to Riko, but since getting to know her, she'd proven herself to be a good listener and a really good friend. They were alike in a lot of ways, which made things even easier. Both of them had artistic minds, though Dia spent most of her time on the business side of the school. They both played instruments, and both of them had dealt with their fair share of bullying back in their grade school days. Neither of them had been very good at making friends, so the fact that they were able to find all this common ground made for an easier friendship than either of them could've ever expected.

"It sounds like she wanted to say sorry, right? Maybe she really is contrite." She smiled shyly, automatically preparing for Dia to argue that point. Though they both had been bullied, they each had different ways of dealing with it. Riko, who never had that turnaround into a confident young woman like Dia had, had been willing to forgive her bullies, while Dia had yet to want to build those bridges. She understood where Dia was coming from, though. It wasn't something that she'd ever invalidate.

"Hah, I doubt it. I know what she's like. She's just one of those dumb jocks, and I don't support that at all. I'll tell you what I told her: that I will never, ever forgive her. I know that you forgave your bully, but I think it's a bit too much to start dating her after what she did to you." Normally she would tell herself to stay out of Riko's business when it came to her dating life, but she was just continually baffled that Riko would date someone who had treated her so poorly in high school? What was so attractive about covering the keys of the school's piano in glue? That just seemed so... unforgivable.

"She's really sweet, honestly. And she's apologized for how she treated me then plenty of times. What happened in the past, I like to keep in the past. I still care about her more than words can say." She gazed upwards with a dreamy expression, one that let Dia know that she was fantasizing about her girlfriend. Eck. "Uh, speaking of Chika, I was going to celebrate her birthday next week, and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"She's _your_ girlfriend. Why would I go to her birthday party?"

"Well, Chika's inviting some of her friends, and I, uh... don't really have any friends besides you. I wouldn't know anybody else there. Except for another one of my former bullies." She kept fidgeting next to Dia, looking a bit forlorn, as if she already knew that Dia was going to decline her invitation. Dia sighed yet again, feeling bad for Riko. It certainly wouldn't be fun to go somewhere and be expected to hang around people she didn't know. Dia did have some experience with that, as she thought back on some of the business meetings she had to attend with her father. It made her less willing to decline.

"Alright, I guess I'll go with you. Maybe I should invite Ruby as well. That would give you another person whom you could interact with."

"Oh, uh, yeah, but, uh..." Riko laughed nervously, fidgeting even worse now. "I don't think you'd want Ruby going, honestly."

"Hm? Why not?"

"Well..."

* * *

  
Riko had had a point. Dia certainly would not have wanted to take Ruby to a bar of all places. She hadn't wanted to take herself there, come to think of it. However, she had promised Riko that she'd go to Chika's party, so she was forced to go there. At least there weren't a lot of peanut shells and spilled beer on the floor like she expected there to be.

When she and Riko walked inside, the bar seemed like it was caught between classy and lower class. It was... well, middle class, if that was a proper description for an establishment. Then again, she wasn't a drinker, and didn't spend her university days bar-hopping like some of her more small-minded classmates. Maybe this was how they all looked, and the bars she saw in tv shows and movies were just some sort of stereotype.

They were greeted at the door by Chika, whose big smile was suddenly gone when she saw Dia. "Oh, Dia! I, uh, didn't know you were coming." She smiled again, but it was very awkward looking. That concerned Dia somewhat.

"Riko invited me. Am I not supposed to be here?" Her suddenly withering glare sent Chika back a couple of steps. Kanan wasn't the only one who could likely take Dia in a fight, yet couldn't even stand tall under that glare. Speaking of Kanan...

"No, no, that's not it at all! It's just that, uh..." She realized that Dia had gone stiff in front of her, and she knew that Kanan, who of course was also invited to the party, had appeared right behind her. "Crap..."

Riko looked from Chika to Dia to the blue-haired woman in the back. She didn't understand what was happening at first, but then all the pieces started to fall into place. "Oh dear..." She looked worriedly at Dia, afraid that she might blow up or demand they leave, but to her surprise the tension seemed to leave her body entirely. Sure, she certainly did not look pleased, but it also didn't seem like she was going to walk over and slap Kanan across the face.

"I'm just here to wish you a happy birthday, and to keep Riko company. I know what you're reacting to, and I can reassure you that there will not be a fracas here." She gave Chika what she felt was a reassuring smile, but to Chika it was more like she was in danger of Dia's jaw unhinging and taking her head off. "Anyway, happy birthday, Chika."

"Thank you, Dia." Chika's voice was quiet, and when Riko came to stand next to her, she gratefully grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I hope you know that you will regret ever hurting Riko again with your bullying ways."

"Understood." Both of their faces changed color at that. Chika's paled considerably, while Riko started sporting a lovely red blush. Neither of them were sure of how to proceed now. Eventually Chika just shrugged and led Riko to the bar, with Dia following a few feet behind them. They passed Kanan, who was desperately trying to figure out something to say, if she was to say anything at all.

"If you truly mean to be contrite, then you will be civil tonight, and I shall do the same. We have no need to interact with each other, understand?" She turned to Kanan, who looked as if she was going to argue. Then she just sighed and nodded, looking pretty downcast. Dia even almost felt bad for her. Almost. She would never feel sorry for a bully. "Good. Now go take shots off of some drunk girl's stomach or whatever dropouts like you do at bars."

"I wasn't planning on doing that!" Kanan protested, though she knew it wouldn't do any good. Dia had her mind made up about her already, and it wasn't likely to be changed by anything she said. Sighing, she stood there for a few more seconds, then trudged back over to Chika's table. At the moment, only You was sitting there, so she sat herself down next to her and sighed loudly. "This sucks."

"What happened?"

"Dia came here with Riko, and she still won't talk to me. Ugh, I've tried apologizing so much, and it doesn't make a difference! Why does she have to be such a bitch about it?"

"I'm sure she'd appreciate hearing that." You snickered and patted Kanan on the back, taking a sip of her drink. "Didn't you tell us you weren't going to bother anymore after she stiffed you at university? This doesn't seem like not bothering."

"Yes, I know what I said, and I meant it, but... I just can't let it go!" Kanan laid her head down on her arms and shut her eyes. "It's ridiculous! I don't feel like I can move on until she forgives me, and she just won't! This is stupid. Why can't it just be easy?"

"Probably because you feel guilty, I guess." You shrugged, not really sure how to help Kanan with this. "Look, you know that you're sorry, and Chika and I know it too. You've done all you can do, like you've already told us, so you gotta move on. C'mon, it's Chika's birthday. You don't want her to see you moping, right?" Well, she had a point about that. Kanan lifted her head and nodded, knowing she could at least push aside the guilt for that night. Hopefully forever, but at least tonight.

Thankfully, being able to have a lot of conversations with Chika and You helped to keep her mind occupied, and the night actually went well, all things considered. Of course, Chika and You got drunk, but it was Chika's birthday, so it was fine. Normally Kanan would've been as drunk as they were, if not more, but for some reason, Dia's presence made her feel less like drinking. She wanted to say it wasn't because of her, but she couldn't think of any other reason as to why she only had two drinks that night, when even Riko was stumbling along the line between tipsy and plastered.

It hadn't escaped her notice that Dia hadn't even taken one drink. While everybody else had slapped down shot after shot, she remained steadfastly sober. It kept piquing her curiosity, and eventually she sidled over and sat next to Dia, who immediately bristled upon noticing. "Hey, uh, I know we said... that we wouldn't talk, but... you can have a drink if you want. I'll pay for it."

"I'll have to decline." At least Dia turned to look at her, though there didn't seem to be anything but disdain in her eyes. "I'm not much of a drinker, especially in such a public setting." That made Kanan wonder if she just drank in private, though she thankfully bit her tongue to avoid questioning if Dia was an alcoholic. "But... thank you for the offer."

"You're welcome." Well, that was better than nothing. They kept sitting next to each other, with Kanan watching how Dia acted in a regular setting. She mostly seemed to be watching a drunk Riko chatting with an even drunker Chika. They laughed about something that Kanan didn't catch, then they shared a kiss. To her surprise, she noticed a light blush form on Dia's face. What was that about?

A short time after midnight, the group of Chika's friends filtered out of the bar. Some of them decided they wanted to go bowling, but Chika surprisingly declined. When she said that she was taking Riko back to her dorm, it became all too clear. That just left Chika, Riko, You, Kanan, and Dia in the parking lot. Only Dia and Kanan were sober enough to drive legally, which meant they had to figure out how to divvy up the group.

"Okay, so I can take Chika and Riko to Chika's dorm. But You's going there as well... Maybe you could take Chika and Riko back to your place?" She looked at Dia hopefully, but of course Dia looked affronted at the mere suggestion.

"No way! If they're going to... _be together_ , then they can do that at Chika's. You will just have to deal with them. Just take all three of them home, and I'll drive Riko's car back to the apartment. Or do you have an argument against that?" Admittedly, she didn't. Honestly, she had been hoping that there would be some way the two of them would be forced to spend some time together, so that she could yet again try to make Dia forgive her. That didn't seem to be in the cards, however, and there really wasn't anything she could do.

They departed without even a goodbye, and Kanan was in a sour mood the entire way back to Chika and You's dorm. She didn't bother paying attention to the drunk ramblings of You, who was seated in her passenger seat, nor did she spend too much time thinking about how comfortable - or safe - Chika and Riko were in the bed of her truck. All she could think of was how frustrated she was about being frustrated that Dia wouldn't accept her apology. It was maddening.

She dropped the three of them off at the dorm, going with them to make sure they all got in safely. Then she went back to her truck and drove home, sulking the whole way. After parking in the garage, she went inside and went straight to bed, falling onto the soft surface. Sleep didn't even come to her in her time of need, as her mind was aggravatingly jumbled with feelings of annoyance and guilt. This wouldn't have happened if she had chosen to go for burgers instead of seafood.

Without Dia's forgiveness, it felt like she really hadn't moved on from her past bullying, and that was the worst thing.

* * *

  
When Dia got back to the apartment from class, she was immediately greeted with the sight of Chika and Riko snuggling on the couch. It made her want to turn and walk right back out. Maybe there was another class she could spontaneously take instead of dealing with her roommate and her overly-loving yet still very douchey girlfriend. Didn't Chika ever have schoolwork to do?

Before she could make her quick exit, the two of them spotted her, and immediately Chika jumped to her feet and addressed her. "Uh, Dia, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"If it's about what you did to my mother last night, I'll have to pass."

"Ahaha, that's not what I was gonna say." She looked down at Riko, who was giving her a blank expression. "That was a joke, baby, I swear! C'mon Dia, please? It's really important!"

"Fine. What is it?" She crossed her arms and waited, unable to imagine what could be so important that Chika had to talk to her in general. If she was looking for memories of what happened on her birthday, she could look elsewhere.

"Uh... Okay, look, I know you don't like Kanan and that you're not interested in forgiving her but she's been moping for days now because you won't forgive her and it's really messing her up and I just really wish you'd at least go talk to her because she's my friend and I care about her and I know you're probably not interested in doing it but I just gotta ask and I'd be really really appreciative if you'd just say something to her and I'm sure Riko would also be appreciative and I won't mention it again if you do I promise please Dia?"

"Uh..." Honestly, Dia was just impressed by how many words Chika was able to get out in one breath. Some of what she had said was completely lost on her. She had gotten the gist though, even if she was really tired of the topic. "Well, maybe she's finally understanding the gravity of her actions."

"Oh stop it!" Chika shouted and stomped her foot, which shocked Riko. She jumped up and hugged Chika to try and calm her down, but the effects weren't immediate. "We all know she was awful to you, but it was high school! She's changed as a person, and you can't see that because you're stuck in the past! Are you still sixteen or something?"

"I am under no order to forgive someone who made my life a living hell for four years! You were just like her, so you have no place to tell me what to do or how to feel about it!" Now Dia was hopping mad, and Riko looked terrified. She was worried the two of them would tear the apartment down. "If she's such a better person now, then she should be able to understand why I won't forgive her."

"Why should she understand? All she wants is your forgiveness! You don't even have to talk to her afterwards. That's all she wants. She's actually putting in effort to mend the bridge between you two, but all you're interested in doing is being a bully as well!"

"Excuse me?! I am _not_ a bully!" Dia's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white as she stared down Chika. She was pretty close to actually going up and slapping Chika for her impudence, but thankfully she was able to snap out of it just in time. "You know what? I don't want to talk about this anymore. Not with you, and not with anybody else. If you try, I will make sure you get banned from this campus!" She then stormed past her and Riko, going into her room and slamming the door shut. That slowly dissipated Chika's own rage, and she turned to a still-freaked out Riko.

"Can she do that?"

* * *

  
The fact that she felt guilty was completely unacceptable. She had been the one who was bullied. Just because Kanan was trying to make amends didn't mean that she was supposed to forgive her. Why was she being guilted into doing something that didn't make any sense? And why was it working?

Thankfully she didn't have class for the rest of the day, so she could mope in peace like a proper Kurosawa. It wasn't fair that she was feeling like this. She had made no bones about her dislike for Kanan, and yet it seemed like everybody was expecting her to forgive just because Kanan was turning over a new leaf. Well fat chance! She wasn't so quick to forget about that old leaf. The one that was full of denigrating jokes and rigged lockers that gave her a clown facial.

Unfortunately, her mind was full of that stupid jock now. It wasn't even of thoughts of the past. Instead, all she could think about were Kanan's multiple attempts to apologize. How she had gone all the way to her university to try and find her. The way she had tried to make Dia feel more comfortable at the bar during Chika's party. She had even been well-behaved on that day. Not once could she remember her sneaking off to do a bunch of liver-poisoning shots.

"Ugh!" She punched her bedsheets in frustration. Was she wrong about not giving Kanan a second chance? She could remember her father talking about how forgiveness was just as important of a business tactic as mercilessly crushing your competition. Did that apply here? Then wouldn't that make Kanan her competition? For what? Her sanity, she guessed.

She wondered how cliche it was to admit to having a crush on her grade school bully. Well, cliche or not, that's how it had been back in middle school. When she had first started to feel attraction to other people, her eyes had been immediately drawn to Kanan. Even back then she was an athletic, popular student, and that seemed to draw Dia in. Then that same athletic, popular student started to pick on her, and her attraction withered pretty fast.

At first, she had tried to place the teasing in a way that worked within her crush. She remembered hearing something about how those who pick on others actually liked them, so she had this hope that the popular swimmer who picked on her actually had a crush on her, and then they'd start dating. That dream died with each passing day, where there didn't seem to be anything 'loving' about what Kanan was doing. Dia's crush faded away, to be replaced by a burning hatred for the girl who made her want to stay home and hide under the bed rather than go to school.

Was Chika right, though? Before their ill-fated meeting at that restaurant, they hadn't seen each other in five years. It wasn't out of the question that plenty of things had changed in that time period. She herself was a lot different at 21 than she had been at 16. Yet she was still burdened by how she had been treated all those years ago. If both Kanan and Chika had changed into better people as they grew up, and even Riko, who had gone through the same things Dia had, could forgive them, then what was her excuse? Was she really the only one chained to the past?

When she heard a knocking at her door, she expected it was Riko wondering if something was wrong. She still really didn't want to get into it, but she didn't want to seem rude and deliberately ignore her. So she got up and went to open her door, only to be shocked that it was Ruby standing there. "Ruby?! What are you doing here?"

"Hey sis, I heard from Riko that you were upset, and I came as soon as I could." She smiled shyly, but Dia could only frown in response. So Riko had snitched on her? Damn... Well, she couldn't turn away her own sister at the door. Besides, it was actually nice to get to see her again, since they didn't go to the same university. She stepped aside to let her in, trying to fix the frown on her face. Even without a mirror, she could tell it wasn't working.

"While I appreciate both of your concerns, it's misplaced. I'm perfectly fine. There's nothing to be worried about." She thought that sounded pretty convincing, but then she noticed Ruby was scrutinizing her intensely. "Uh, Ruby? What are you doing?"

"I can tell you're not telling me the truth, sis."

"Eh? And just why would you think that?"

"Because you're scratching at your mole." Ah. Dia yanked her hand back down to her side, having not even realized she'd been doing it. Her stupid telltale sign of falsehood had gotten the better of her again, and she'd been training herself so well to avoid doing it. It wouldn't be good to give away her lies in the corporate world so easily. "Please, sis, you can tell me what's going on." She really didn't want to, especially because it felt weird to talk about super personal stuff with her sister.

"Do you remember the blue-haired woman from the sushi restaurant?"

"So it is about her. I thought so." Dia looked at her in astonishment. Well, maybe it shouldn't have been so surprising. Riko must've told her more than she thought. Double snitching... "She was the one who was mean to you in school, wasn't she?" Dia didn't answer at first, but then she nodded slowly, feeling more like a child than a university student. "She, uh, she told me that when she came to our house."

"Wait, she was at the house?! When did that happen? Why was she there? Did she hurt you?!" She grabbed Ruby by the shoulders and shook her.

"N-No, no! Not at all!" Ruby felt like a bobblehead under Dia's concerned glare. Finally, Dia stopped shaking her, letting Ruby's response sink in. "She just... admitted what she had done to you, and that she wanted to find you and apologize for what she had done. At first I was angry, because she had hurt you, but she seemed like she was really sorry. I thought it'd be nice if she apologized to you, because that seemed like the right thing to do." She fidgeted nervously under Dia's stare, looking a lot like Riko. Well, she'd known Ruby for longer, obviously, so really Riko just seemed a lot like Ruby. "I-I'm sorry if that was overstepping your bounds."

"Yeah..." She was still trying to process what Ruby had said. Kanan had tried to find her at her house just to apologize? Yes, it would've made her mad before that Ruby had revealed that information to someone like Kanan, but it seemed nice in a way. She hadn't even considered the lengths Kanan may have gone through just to come and apologize to her. Was that something that was supposed to be ignored or condemned? "Ruby, why do you think she was sorry?"

"There was something in her eyes. I could tell that she really wanted to apologize to you. She seems like she's really changed from the person she told me she was. It makes me happy that she wants to make amends with you... Unless you're upset because she hurt you again? Did that happen?"

"No, that... that didn't happen. She just... wanted to apologize..." Dia sighed and groaned, stepping back to sit down on her bed. This was just so much more complicated than it should have been. She had just wanted to never interact with the people who had bullied her ever again, but not only had that not happened, but she was feeling that now _she_ was in the wrong. How had that happened? "I refused her apologies, though."

"How come?" Ruby went over and sat next to Dia, looking at her curiously. "Do you think she doesn't deserve a second chance?"

"It's not that! I mean, it is, but..." How was she supposed to correctly say people deserved second chances unless they specifically hurt her? Without seeming self-interested, of course. Somehow, she had a feeling there wasn't a way of doing that. "She hurt me a lot, and it's just hard to believe that she's actually sincere about it. And even if she is, it doesn't feel right to be around her after all that."

"I understand. It's your decision, after all." She smiled softly, gently hugging Dia. "But at least to me, she does seem sincere, and I think Riko feels the same. Maybe it'd make you feel better to let go of the anger you hold for her. I-If that's okay for me to say." Dia sighed and leaned into Ruby's hug. She was more correct than Dia could've ever expected. Holding all of that anger for the past five years certainly wasn't healthy, and it would continue to be unhealthy if she held this grudge for the rest of her life. It wouldn't even lead to her dancing on Kanan's grave if she popped a blood vessel and died first.

"It's okay for you to say. Maybe... Maybe I've been too rash with my decision making. If I feel that people deserve a second chance, then perhaps I need to give her one too. I just need some time to think about it, okay?" Ruby nodded and smiled, which made Dia smile as well. She couldn't even remember the last time she smiled naturally after Chika's party. It felt good, though knowing she was going to have to admit to changing her mind didn't feel so good. "Is there anything you want to do while you're here?"

"Well, there's a new idol video from A-Rise that was just released online."

"You should've come over sooner. Get your phone out so we can take notes on it."

"Okay!"

* * *

  
It was a Thursday evening, and Kanan was doing what she usually did on those days: fix diving equipment. On that day, she was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the garage, smoothing out the dents on a couple of oxygen tanks. Her dad had gone in a few minutes prior, so it was just her out there. A cough from behind her got her attention, and she turned with a smile, expecting to see her dad there, maybe to tell her to come inside for the night. Instead, she was met with a different, familiar stare.

"Dia?!" Kanan dropped the tool in her hand and jumped up to her feet, accidentally kicking the oxygen tank. It stung, but she did her best to ignore it. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been asking myself the same question," Dia muttered to herself, stepping closer and quirking an eyebrow as Kanan automatically took a couple steps back. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about something that I feel needs to be said."

"Uh, okay." Kanan stopped backing up, though she was at a loss to come up with what Dia wanted to talk about. She had been pretty adamant, repeatedly, about them never speaking again. So what was this about, then? "What did you want to talk about?" She tried to seem casual, but she was too nervous now to pull it off. Every second she didn't get the answer to what was happening was freaking her out.

"I've done some thinking about your apology, and, well... I've decided that maybe I can find it in me to forgive you." Kanan's jaw dropped. "If you really are sincere with your apologies, then perhaps it isn't right of me to hold a grudge over you for any longer. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I've decided that you do deserve forgiveness, at least to see if you're truly becoming a better person than you were in high school. So I forgive you, Kanan." Kanan just stared at her, still partially shell-shocked. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I dunno, I just expected fireworks or something when you actually forgave me." Kanan shrugged, but then she smiled, and Dia was taken aback by the genuine warmth in it. "It's been this moment that's taken over my life for weeks now. I didn't even think you'd ever forgive me, but... I'm really happy that you did." She held her arms out, looking right at Dia. Dia looked straight back, confused.

"What? What is this?"

"A hug? Maybe we can hug it out and patch things up, you know?" Dia just kept staring at her, so Kanan lowered her arms a bit, her smile fading. "Or is that too much? I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's nothing like that. That's just not something I'm used to." She blushed slightly, realizing that she had admitted to not getting a lot of hugs. It wasn't even that big a deal. She wasn't out wandering around looking for hugs like some kind of... hug slut. That didn't sound right at all. The point was, she wasn't intimate like that with anyone, and she wasn't going around looking for that. Now her former(?) greatest enemy was just offering a hug like it was no big deal. There was something weird about Kanan.

"Oh. Well, maybe you could get used to it?" She held her arms out again, grinning sheepishly. "Not that you have to hug me all the time or anything. Just maybe this one time? It'll officiate things, don'tcha think? And then, if you want, you don't have to see me ever again." That last part made Dia frown. It should've made her more than satisfied to hear that coming from Kanan's mouth, but now it just made her feel guilty. Which was stupid, because she shouldn't feel guilty at all. She did, though. It made her not want to hear that.

"Just shut up, okay?" She walked forward and stepped into Kanan's arms, awkwardly giving her a hug. Kanan froze in place, having started to suspect that there wasn't a chance of this happening. She quickly got back in gear and hugged Dia back, not wanting to miss this opportunity. Her hug was of a decent tightness, but still allowing Dia room to potentially back out if she wanted to. She liked to think she had hugging down to a science now. "You're really warm. Why are you so warm? Are you feverish? You'd better not have gotten me sick."

"No, I'm not sick. I'm just always warm." Kanan laughed, daring to hug a little bit tighter. Dia didn't make a motion to try and leave, so she took that as a good sign. "So, I... I know that it must've been tough to forgive me for what I did, and I really do appreciate that you decided to do so."

"I guess even bullies like you deserve a second chance. Just don't make me regret it." They separated from the hug, then Dia looked down at the oxygen tank. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

"I'm fixing diving equipment for the shop. It's part of my job." Kanan sat back down and looked over the tank one last time. "This one looks good! Alright, I think that's everything for the evening." She set the tank upright, then stood up. Dia was still looking at it curiously, though. "Would you like me to show you around the workshop? AKA our garage."

"Uh, sure. Yes, I suppose so." Beaming, Kanan set about showing off all the random diving equipment that was stored in the garage. Most of it was either old or still in need of repairs, but they would still do for showing Dia what it was all about. The entire time she was showing off her work space, Dia either nodded silently or gave off small noises of affirmation. When Kanan had finally exhausted everything she could show, she then spoke up. "I'm honestly surprised."

"Eh? By what?"

"Well, this all seems to take quite the mechanically-savvy mind. It's just that I never pegged you as someone who had the mental ability for that."

"That kinda sounds like you're calling me dumb."

"Yes." Dia cracked a smile, which caught Kanan off guard. She wasn't even mad now that Dia had called her dumb. She covered her mouth to try to stifle a laugh, getting a slightly wider smile from Dia. Hey, this wasn't going so bad. "I should get back to my apartment now. I still have class in the morning."

"Ah, right. Yeah." She was somewhat disappointed, but she couldn't say the day was going to end badly. In the end, she'd been forgiven by Dia, and she wasn't going to take that for granted. It allowed her to smile as she led Dia out of the garage. She pushed the button to open the garage door, figuring that was easier than going through the house again. "Well, thanks for coming over, Dia. It really... you know, it means a lot."

"Well, I appreciate that you've made what seems to be a real, honest effort to change. There are certainly plenty of people who would have just tried to forget their past had ever happened. For you to actively seek me out to apologize... It was a nice thing for you to do. I shouldn't have denied your apology out of hand like I did."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad this has all worked out. Maybe we'll, uh, see each other again sometime?" She remained cautiously hopeful, not wanting to get her hopes too high in case Dia really didn't want to see her again after this.

"Mm.. Maybe. I guess we'll see, won't we?" With that cryptic sentence, they went their separate ways. They waved at each other, and Kanan watched as she walked to her car. Once inside, they shared one more wave, and then Dia was driving back into the big city, leaving Kanan to watch her go. She still found herself able to smile, though. No matter what happened, she had some true closure now. It made her really feel like she could move past the bad things she had done in the past, and move on to a brighter future, with her nicer tendencies in full bloom. Yeah, that sounded good.

* * *

  
Two days later, Kanan was in the garage prepared to fix more equipment. She had decided that it was time to get to several snorkels that had issues with their breathing tubes. Going to the shelf where they had been placed, she grabbed the first one and started to bring it to the workbench. To her surprise, something fell out of the goggles and onto the ground.

"Huh? What's this...?" She bent to pick it up, finding that it was a small piece of paper. It was folded up, but when she unfolded it there was a phone number written on it. Underneath it was a name: Dia. "Woah... Wait, what?! This has been here for two days?! What?!" Kanan dropped the snorkel and yanked out her phone, frantically typing in the number and texting it, praying to herself that it wasn't a fake. When she got a response text that read _'What took you so long?_ ', she was pretty confident that she had the right number.

"My God..." She broke out into the biggest grin, quickly shooting off another text. It seemed as if her time with Dia wasn't quite over with yet. She couldn't wait to tell Chika and You the big news.


End file.
